Fedoma, Albinism Association condemns ritual murder of woman

Police in the tea-growing distrist of Mulanje are hunting for a Mozambican man suspected to be bdistrict behind the death of a 25-year-old woman living with albinism who was killed for ritual purposes.

A woman identified as Violet Kanyama was murdered on Wednesday evening in Gwana Village in the district, and the law enforcers have started hunting for the deceased’s boyfriend who is at large following the incident.

The authorities refused to release particulars of the suspected killer who is reported to have fled to Mozambique-his home country.

According to police, the murder victim was last seen with her lover hours before she went missing and was subsequently found dead in a trench without some body parts.

Association for Persons with Albinism in Malawi and Federation for Disability Organizations in Malawi (Fedoma) have since condemned the barbaric act which raises fear for the safety of people with albinism.

Vice-chairperson for the association, Emmie Chiumia said people with albinism need to be treated equally as any human being and dismissed beliefs that such people could be used for ritual purposes.

“We have right to live just like anybody else. Don’t buy into rumours that people with albinism are different any person, we might not have same colour of skin but we are all human,” argued Chiumia.

The association has since urged the police who have since sent their officer in Mozambique to hunt for the suspected killer to handle the issue with urgency, arguing “perpetrators of such barbaric acts need to be taken to task.”

And Fedoma Head of Programs, Simon Munde said they have sent a team to assess the Mulanje incident and was so far convinced with how the law enforcers were handling the issue.

“Our only call is that, this issue should not die a natural death. Let truth prevail and the perpetrators face justice,” he said.

The Mulanje incident came at the time when the law enforcers in Zomba district are failing to solve the mysterious disappearance of an eight-year old girl with albinism in July 2013.

There are reports of people with albinism also gone missing in the districts of Balaka, Dedza and Blantyre.

Albinism is a genetically inherited condition, in which people lack pigmentation.